Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Environmental Modification And Teacher Mediation: Impact On The Literacy Behaviors Of Preschoolers With Special Needs, Aaron R. Deris, Cynthia Dicarlo, Dana Wagner, Kellie Krick-Oborn

Special Education Department Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of modifications to the environment and a teacher mediated intervention in regard to the early literacy behaviors of preschoolers receiving early childhood special education services. There were three classrooms targeted. Out of the three classrooms, there was a focus on nine children with developmental delay. Step one was to complete a classroom assessment to identify the early literacy supports needed for each classroom. Step two was to collect baseline literacy behaviors during center time, a period when children are allowed to choose their activities. Step 3 was to implement the …

Autism Spectrum Disorder Policymaking In New Mexico: An Ethnographic Case Study, Elisheva H. Levin

Special Education ETDs

ABSTRACT

Understanding how ASD policy is made at the state level is important to the various institutional and individual stakeholders who make, apply, and are governed by it. Critical disability theory was applied to this qualitative study of ASD policymaking in New Mexico. This study examined how policymakers and stakeholders brought their identities, knowledge, values, and beliefs to policymaking in New Mexico. The study was guided by the question, “How is ASD policy in New Mexico constructed?” The research used the following methods: (a) individual interviews of policy stakeholders, (b) observations of public policy meetings, (c) document review. Six major …

Autism Spectrum Disorders (Asd): Knowledge, Teaching Skills, Preparation, And Needed Knowledge Of Saudi Arabian Special Educators To Meet The Needs Of Their Students With Asd, Suliman Saleh Alothaim

Special Education ETDs

The Saudi government pays much attention to improving the quality of teachers who teach students with disabilities, including those identified with ASD. The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs and perceptions of teachers of students with ASD in Al Qassim about their knowledge, teaching skills, and preparation to teach students with ASD. This study addressed two questions. The first question was what teachers in Al Qassim believe they know about ASD and how to teach students with ASD. The second was what teachers of students with ASD believe they need to be successful teachers of students with …

Preliminary Data Of The Smartsignplay Prototype: A Sign Language App For Families With Children Who Are D/Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Caroline A. Guardino, Brianna Balch, Sarah Rearick

DHI Digital Projects Showcase

SmartSignPlay is an app aimed to assist children who are d/DHH and their families learn functional signs to support early communication development. The app is interactive and can be played on smartphones and tablets. The process of developing the app and preliminary results of the pilot study will be presented.

Improving Reading Comprehension Of Children With Asd: Implication Of Anaphoric Reference Support With Computer Programming, Seda Karayazi Ozsayin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of anaphoric pronouns presented via computer screen on the reading comprehension of four children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Stories from the education.com website were used to collect data. The students’ responses to reading comprehension questions during baseline, treatment, and follow-up sessions were analyzed. The perceptions of students regarding anaphoric pronouns were also analyzed. Initially, reading levels, fluency and comprehension rate, of the students with ASD were identified via the Gray Oral Reading Test, Fifth edition (GORT-5), Test of Narrative Language (TNL), and Test of Narrative Language, Second edition (TNL-2). A randomized multiple baseline (MBL) …

The Book Trailer Project: Media Production Within An Integrated Classroom, Karen Festa

Journal of Media Literacy Education

A special education co-teacher in an integrated elementary classroom describes key aspects of media literacy pedagogy for all students, including opportunities for critical analysis and creative media production. After elementary school students learned about author’s craft, purpose, theme/message, three types of writing, and target audience, they began looking at these elements using Super Bowl ads and participated in rich discussions which demonstrated their analysis and reflection on advertising. Students created a book trailer project, working in small groups to create videos to promote a book written by a local author and illustrator. Such work bridges gaps in social-emotional development, communication …

Social Media Literacy As An Iep Intervention For Social And Emotional Learning, Donnell Probst

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy and special education communities have largely ignored the impact of digital media useonspecial education students with Autism spectrum disorder and Emotional and Behavioral Disorder. This paper investigates the possibility of using social media literacy education as part of an individualized education plan (IEP) intervention for improving the social and emotional learning outcomes of students with disabilities. Using the example of a “provocative selfie” as a form of media production and consumption, this paper provides a framework for using the NAMLE key questions to teach specific CASEL Social and Emotional (SEL) competencies and address IEP goals and objectives of …

Inclusion Of Students With Learning And Behavior Problems: Knowledge, Attitudes, And Inclusive Practices In Turkey, Hanife Ece Ugurlu

Doctoral Dissertations

Inclusive education has become one of the primary goals of education policy across the world in order to achieve education for all. However, there have been various interpretations with respect to what constitutes inclusive education. In addition, limited research exists on teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, and competencies related to inclusive education and students with special needs. The purpose of preliminary research in this study was to validate the Turkish version of the International Survey of Inclusion. The purpose of the second study was to examine Turkish teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and skills about inclusion of students with diverse learning and behavioral needs. …

Parent Perceptions Of The Transition Programs Completed By Their Adult Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Judithanne Arcaro

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The lifelong effects of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impact the living, employment, and social aspects for individuals with the diagnosis and their families. In this study, I sought to determine parent perspectives of school transition programs completed by their adult children with ASD. Guided by the theoretical framework from Bronfenbrenner, Freire, and Mezirow, my purpose was to identify transition practices with which parents were satisfied and dissatisfied, as well as to seek their input about improving transition programming. With the unemployment rate for individuals with ASD reported by the Department of Labor as 80%, improvement of outcomes would reduce the …

Demystifying Research: Accessing & Understanding Evidence For Clinical Practice, Kimberly A. Murphy, Meredith Poore Harold, Mary Huston

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The demands on clinicians for evidence-based practice (EBP) are great. However, many speech-language pathologists have received little to no training in how to ‘do’ EBP. In this presentation, we aim to describe and provide practical suggestions for two of the steps in EBP—accessing, then reading and interpreting research to inform clinical decision-making. Our goal is to give clinicians the tools and confidence they need to grow into expert clinicians.

Learner Outcome 1: Describe the components of evidence-based practice (EBP)

Learner Outcome 2: Identify ways to access research

Learner Outcome 3: Identify steps in reading and evaluating the …

The Patient As Mentor: Transformative Experience In An Occupational Therapy Course, Meagan Troop, Anne O'Riordan

Publications and Scholarship

“The Lived Experience of Disability” course matches first year occupational therapy students with mentors, individuals with health challenges, for a series of community visits. This learning relationship facilitates students’ understanding of disability and client-centred practice. Mentors share expertise of their lived experience; students consider personal attitudes, assumptions and knowledge of disability and their future client-therapist relationships. Findings of a qualitative research study using a case study approach reveal that students engaged in interactive course components that comprised reflective practice, mentor visits, and critical involvement in a community of practice. These experiential and collaborative interactions provided pedagogical conditions for building relational …

The Effect Of Art, Community, And Relationships On Urban Youth, Kelly Thomas

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis gathers the research necessary to understand the impact art, a healthy community, and nurturing relationships can have on the life of an inner city child. The many factors that serve as the foundation of a certain lifestyle can be the very factors that make or break a child’s opportunity for success. The inner city child may lack a healthy community, intentional relationships, and an effective system to release frustrations. Art has been utilized time and time again to direct the urban population towards healthy forms of self expression. Previous examples of successful art programs will be surveyed as …

Pursuing A Common Goal: Measuring The Comfort Level Of Educational Diagnosticians To Manage A Caseload Of Students With Visual Impairments, Jerry Mullins M.Ed., Michael P. Munro M.Ed.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study was conducted to measure the level of comfort and knowledge that educational diagnosticians possess regarding the unique learning needs, assistive technology, special accommodations, agencies, required visual impairment related Individual Educational Plan documents, and special evaluation considerations appropriate for students with a vision loss. Teachers of students with visual impairments were surveyed to gauge their perception of educational diagnosticians’ knowledge of the field of visual impairment and diagnosticians were also surveyed to determine their comfort level in the management of a caseload of students with visual impairments. Research question were based on how TVIs rated the comfort level and …

The Transformation Process Of Fathers Of Children With Disabilities: An Exploratory Case Study, Holly F. Pedersen Ed.D., Dionne Spooner Ph.D

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

While the vital role that fathers play in the development of their children is emphasized in recent literature, the majority of research relative to child development focuses on mothers. This imbalance is even more evident relative to research with parents of children with disabilities, leaving human service providers with few evidence based practices for appropriately addressing the needs of fathers raising children with disabilities. Research suggests that having a child with a disability, while challenging, can also have a significant positive impact on the family system and potentially offer a transformational experience for the parent. Guided by a theoretical model …

Examining Pre-Service Teacher Candidates’ Sources And Levels Of Knowledge About Autism Spectrum Disorders, William H. Blackwell Ph.D, Mary E. Sheppard, Donna Lehr, Shuoxi Huang

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study was designed to identify what pre-service teacher candidates knew about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how they had acquired that knowledge in order to design more effective preparation courses. Teacher candidates (N=87) from three teacher preparation programs completed questionnaires during, or prior to, their first special education course. The findings indicate a relationship between sources of knowledge about ASD and actual levels of knowledge. Based on the findings, the authors argue that there is a need for coursework that focuses on effective intervention strategies and utilizes direct opportunities for teacher candidates to work with students with …

Understanding Student And Faculty Perceptions Of The Accommodation And Support Procedures For Students With Ld In Ontario Universities: A Mixed Methods Approach, Sarah Copfer Terreberry

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

With recent advances in disability policies, practices, and inclusive education mandates, students with learning disabilities (LD) are choosing to attend higher education at a rate that is greater than ever before. Despite these positive advances, however, the transition from secondary to higher education and the adjustment to post-secondary environments for students with LD continues to present a number of unique academic, social, and emotional challenges for this population, especially as this relates to obtaining access to accommodation and support for their learning needs. This study investigated how the needs of students with learning disabilities (LD) are currently being met at …

School Choice Vouchers And Special Education In Indiana Catholic Diocesan Schools, William H. Blackwell, June M. Robinson

Journal of Catholic Education

Catholic schools are now located at a crossroads of school choice voucher programs and special education services. With enrollment in Catholic schools declining over the past several decades, voucher programs that allow parents to use public funds for tuition at private schools – including tuition for students with disabilities – could possibly help to steady or even reverse this decline. This study examined the impact of Indiana’s statewide voucher program on Catholic schools, student enrollment, and special education services in three large diocesan school systems. The findings address issues related to enrollment growth, changing student population characteristics, special education services, …

Inclusive Higher Education And Employment: A Secondary Analysis Of Program Components, Louise Danielle Roberts-Dahm

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Through secondary analyses of quantitative data obtained from the Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) National Coordinating Center database from the first cohort (2010-2015) of model demonstration sites in Florida, this study examined components of the postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disabilities that are correlated with employment upon program exit. This study adds to the emergent knowledge base on inclusive higher education by identifying the programmatic components of the postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disability most correlated with successful transition from college to employment. This information can be used to inform program …

Aggression And Self Injurious Behaviors: The Effects Of Behavior Interventions In Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tara Buck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two behavioral interventions of young adults with Autism spectrum disorder that present with aggressive and self-injurious behavior. The results were analyzed to determine the successes and comparisons of the interventions to decrease challenging behaviors. The participants were two young adult male students diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder, both use an AAC device as their primary means of communication. Data was collected using a reversal (A-B-A-B) study design, with collection during a baseline phase, intervention phase one, reversal withdrawal of intervention phase two and re-implementation of intervention phase three. The …

Spelling Instruction For Students With Learning Disabilities, Rebecca Grochowicz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the success of phonetic-based and memory-based spelling instruction on students with learning disabilities. This study implemented a pretest-posttest design. The participants were six learning disabled second grade students in a resource room setting. All participants were performing below grade level in Language Arts and Reading. Data was collected during a baseline phase, intervention phase, and post-intervention phase. Students were taught list spelling words using both phonetic-based and memory-based strategies on alternating weeks. Their weekly progress and retention rates were recorded and compared to the baseline data. Overall, the results of the study …